What is a Permablitz?

Permablitz (noun): An informal gathering involving a day on which a group of at least two people come together to achieve the following:

create or add to edible gardens

share skills related to permaculture and sustainable living

build community

have fun

The term permablitz is a contraction of permaculture and blitz, where a blitz simply means a focused effort to get something done.

Permablitzes are always free, public events, with free workshops and shared food, where you get some exercise and have a good time.

To be defined as a permablitz each event must be underpinned by a permaculture design by someone with a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) – the most basic permaculture qualification.

The network runs on reciprocity, and in order to qualify for a permablitz you usually need to come to some first, although there can be exceptions in this case. We’ll explain more about these ideas below.

Who comes to permablitzes?

Anyone and everyone can come to a permablitz. Never picked up a shovel? No worries! We especially welcome first time gardeners so skill level and physical ability aren’t problems at all. Just come and contribute any way you are able. We all have to eat, so food gardening is relevant to everyone and you’re sure to meet interesting, friendly people of many stripes and persuasions at a permablitz.

What happens on the day of a permablitz?

Every blitz is different. But you can expect to be welcomed with a cup of tea. When most people have arrived there will be an intro circle in which the design for the day and the ideas behind it will be explained and then we’ll get to work. There will be tasks like sheet- mulching, planting fruit trees, digging paths and swales, making vegetable beds with no-dig methods or implementing greywater systems. You’ll be shown what to do and be working with others, and there will be short workshops relating to the activities so you can learn new skills. The host will provide a shared lunch. By about four o’clock we’ll break and thank everyone. Usually by then quite a transformation has taken place!

How to get involved

Getting involved is easy. Sign up to the Melbourne Permablitz Newsletter to stay in the loop about upcoming blitzes and courses. (Put your email in the Permablitz newsletter box in the middle column of the footer of this website and click ‘Subscribe’.) Or you could “like” our Facebook page, or just come back here regularly and look out for upcoming blitzes on the calendar.

Since we usually have more people wanting to blitz than we can accommodate, you’ll need to RSVP to the host.

On the day make sure you dress for the weather and bring a water bottle and gloves if you need them. Feel free to bring a few gardening tools, and if you like, some food to share. The host may put out some extra requests for things like newspaper or extra seedlings. But it’s fine just to bring yourself too.

Reciprocity & how to get blitzed

The permablitz network is based on reciprocity and if you come to two or three permablitzes we can help organise one at your house. That’s right – we can connect you to a volunteer or professional permaculture designer, help you plan your blitz, promote it, and coordinate it on the day. For free. Sweet deal, no? Once you’ve accumulated sufficient ‘blitz credit’ and you’re ready to host, see our Get Blitzed section.

Timeline of a permablitz

Each permablitz is part of a longer process including a pre-blitz design visit/s by permaculture designer/s, prior organisation of materials needed for the blitz and whenever possible, post-blitz follow up visits to learn from our successes and failures.

Who co-ordinates the permablitz network?

Permablitz Melbourne is comprised of several groups who contribute in different ways to permablitz events.

The Permablitz Melbourne Collective: a group of coordinators who link hosts and designers and champion the blitz concept. Find out more about the Permablitz Collective.

The Permablitz Melbourne Designers Guild: a pool of volunteer designers for permablitzes, but the group also meets to share skills and knowledge relating to permaculture design. As of June 2015, the Guild has almost 200 graduates of Permaculture Design Certificates from around Melbourne. If you have a PDC, joining the Guild is a great way to get experience, build your skills and network with other designers. Click here to sign up!

Got an event to share?

About Permablitz Melbourne

Welcome to Permablitz Melbourne - where we get together and have fun learning about, designing and implementing suburban permaculture systems. Our focus is edible gardens, and our ultimate aim is to make the suburbs edible enough such that should food become unaffordable, we don’t even notice.